FAQs
What is a Permanent Resident (PR) in Canada?
Obtaining "permanent residence" or "permanent resident status" in Canada is also known as "immigrating to Canada" or becoming a "landed immigrant." The successful end result of the Immigration process is the issuance of an “immigrant visa” or “confirmation of permanent residence document”. People to whom an immigrant visa/confirmation of permanent residence document has been issued must present themselves to an Immigration officer at one of Canada's official ports of entry in order to become landed immigrants.
What benefits do I have if I am a Permanent Resident (PR) of Canada?
Canadian permanent residents/landed immigrants and citizens enjoy all of the same rights and privileges (i.e. free health care, free elementary and secondary education, etc.) with three (3) exceptions:
Permanent residents cannot vote
Permanent residents cannot hold a Canadian passport
Permanent residents can be deported for certain criminal convictions
Once I am a Permanent Resident of Canada, do I have to stay in Canada?
Within any five (5) year period, a permanent resident must be:
physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (two (2) years) in that five (5) year period, OR outside of Canada, accompanying a Canadian citizen, who is his or her spouse or common-law partner or a child accompanying a parent, OR outside of Canada, employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business, OR an accompanying spouse, common-law partner or child of a permanent resident, who is outside Canada and is employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business.
How can I become a Permanent Resident of Canada?
To be eligible to immigrate to Canada, one must meet the requirements of one of the many categories of Canadian Immigration:
Federal Skilled Worker Class
Federal Skilled Trades Class
Canadian Experience Class
Express entry
PNP programs.
Business Class
Family Class
and apply for Permanent Residence in Canada through a designated Case Processing Centre/Centralized Intake Office.
How can I become a Canadian citizen?
After having resided in Canada for a total of 1,095 days within a consecutive five year period of time as a permanent resident of Canada, one is eligible to apply for Citizenship.